If you think that people are basically good, then Solomon says to come look at this province where the poor are oppressed. If you think that people are basically good, come see what they can do in the absence of justice and righteousness. If you think that people are basically good, then Solomon says let me show you how corrupt government can be. Even in a country where the king cultivates the land to help feed the hungry, there will still be people who manipulate power for their own gain and the oppression of the vulnerable. If you think that people are basically good, then you are not only naïve but uninformed, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).
Tag Archives: Oppression
The Tie That Binds
It would appear that this fourth chapter is an assortment of unrelated topics. But upon closer inspection, we see a repetition of introductory phrases, “better than,” carried onward from the previous chapter. Solomon is clearly building his argument, which he will carry forward to its conclusion at the end of the book. But this chapter, short as it is, is not merely a building block, but a thematic treatise. It has an important message for us, especially in the church today, even this church today.
Planter, Pastor, Preacher 